PORT Botany saw a slowdown in total container throughput in May, according to the latest available statistics from the port’s manager NSW Ports.
Last month, the port handled a total of 222,009 TEU, which was a decrease of 9.55% on the same month last year’s throughput of 245,439 TEU.
A significant driver of this decrease was full container imports, which were down 15.48% to 104,106 TEU in May 2023.
Machinery was the top commodity imported in containers through Port Botany in May, with 17,229 TEU, a decrease of 15% on May 2022.
This was followed by miscellaneous manufactured articles at 12,970 TEU (a decrease of 22.3%); foodstuffs beverages and tobacco at 11,086 TEU (a decrease of 19.66%); and plastic and rubber at 10,210 TEU (a decrease of 21%).
Exports were also down, but not by as much. Total exports last month came to 115,262 TEU, which was a decrease of 4.5% on May 2022’s numbers.
Full exports decreased by 6.74% to 44,580 TEU and empty exports decreased by 3.03% to 70,682 TEU.
Turning to the financial-year-to-date numbers, we find decreases, but not as severe as the monthly numbers.
For the 11 months to May 2023, Port Botany handled a total of 2.51 million TEU, a decrease on the same period last year of 1.78%.
Like the monthly numbers, this was driven in large part by a decrease in full import containers.
This financial year through May, the port handled 1.2 million TEU of full import containers, a decrease of 3.84% on the same period last year.
Exports were relatively steady at 1.3 million TEU for the year-to-date in May – a 0.35% increase on the same period last year.
